Open Your Eyes
by KelQueenscove
Summary: A Harry/Ginny fanfiction I've had stuck in my head for a while. Set in Harry's fifth year, the PG rating is just to be safe. *NOW COMPLETED*
1. Weasley Wishes

Harry sat on the Dursleys' front porch, bags scattered around him. Hedwig hooted sleepily in her cage, and the drone of bees added a pleasant touch to the August day. Of course, thought Harry, this would be a pleasant day even if it was pouring.  
  
Dumbledore had finally granted Harry permission to spend the last month of vacation at the Burrow. He didn't want to think about how many protection spells must be cast over the lopsided house, all to make sure he was safe.  
  
Harry quickly pushed the thought from his mind and concentrated on the better things. He would soon be seeing his best friends again. The irrepressible twins would be sure to torment him, but Harry had to admit that he missed their pranks at the Dursleys'. Percy would be around, droning on like a larger copy of the fat bumblebees around him. Harry smiled to himself as he pictured Percy wiggling in an azalea.  
  
Harry's thoughts were banished as a large, bright pink van pulled up in front of Number Four Privet Drive. The side door slid open before the car had fully stopped. Ron jumped out, his hair clashing horribly with the car.  
  
"Harry! Wow, did you hear the news?? The Chudley Cannons actually came in 49th in the nationals!!! They beat the Purple Pigeons by a hundred and fifty points!"  
  
"Well, really, Ron, that was only because Samantha Swill, the Pigeon seeker, was injured and had to drop out," Hermione interjected, following Ron up the Dursley's neat walkway. Her hair was refreshingly bushy, and her tone bossier than ever as she scooped up two boxes and took them to the car. Ron followed her example, leaving Harry only Hedwig's cage and the Firebolt to grab.  
  
The inside of the van was so large Harry was surprised Mrs. Weasley hadn't noticed. Fred and George greeting him with three different sweets shoved into his face. He carefully skirted them, giving the candy a wide berth.  
  
Mr. Weasley leaned around the seat and grinned. "Got everything, Harry?"  
  
Before he had a chance to answer, Ron shoved him toward the back seat. Harry paused briefly to take note of positions in the van.  
  
In the front two seats were Mr. And Mrs. Weasley; Fred and George sat in the next row. Harry had the distinct feeling that their seats had not been there originally; something about the fact that the bright green and orange polka dot pattern on them differed from the sky blue of the rest.  
  
In the next row were Ron and Hermione, bickering over the relative statistics of the Cannons and the Pigeons. Harry left them to their quarrel in peace; he hadn't missed the way Ron's arm rested over the back of the seat, or the way Hermione's fingers rested on top of Ron's.  
  
Harry's gaze went on to the last two seats. He froze in place, half-way between the two rows.  
  
There, sitting alone on the bench, was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on. Her bright red hair flowed down over her shoulders in soft waves, contrasting strongly with the white shirt she wore. Her chocolate eyes were directed at him, her delicate hands nervously clutching at each other. She bit her lower lip with the edge of straight white teeth and glanced up at him in trepidation.  
  
Harry had forgotten where he was until Ron spoke up into the silence which had fallen over the van.  
  
"It's okay, Harry, Ginny won't mind sharing with you, do you, Ginny?"  
  
Harry's frozen mind shattered into a thousand pieces. Ginny? Ginny Weasley? This image of perfection that sat before him? Ron's little sister?  
  
The tiny fragments of his mind melted together into a mushy lump as she shook her head and spoke in a melodious voice.  
  
"Oh no, that's fine."  
  
It took more willpower than Harry knew he had to keep from physically collapsing at her feet. Instead he forced himself forward until he could actually land on something as he melted.  
  
The first thought to enter his dizzy mind other than she is beautiful she is so beautiful was:  
  
Did I ever feel this way about Cho?  
  
Who's Cho?  
  
Good question. 


	2. Divination Dreams

A/N: This is a complete mush fanfic; I think they have to get together, so here is the second installment in the series. Read and review!  
  
Disclaimer (Yes I forgot this last chapter): I own nothing. Get over it.  
  
  
  
A war was raging between the two halves of Harry's mind as he watched Ginny's every delicate movement.  
  
I've never wanted to hold anyone more than I do her right now.  
  
Don't you dare.  
  
Can't I just reach across the top of the seat, or brush her hand?  
  
No, no, NO!!! You know perfectly well that if you have any physical contact with her, you'll end up doing something stupid like kissing her in front of her whole family.  
  
And that's important how?  
  
You would be dead.  
  
1 But I would be happy…  
  
Shut up.  
  
The end result was Harry crossing his arms and gripping either elbow firmly to keep from shaking. It took him several seconds before he realized that Ginny was talking to him.  
  
"So I'm taking Arithmancy and Divination; how about you?"  
  
Harry jerked out of a trance that rivaled Professor Trelawney's and tried to recall what he had signed up for.  
  
"Er…let's see…I…I think I'm taking…er…" he faltered. He knew he must have, at some point, known something other than that Ginny Weasley was beautiful, but he couldn't seem to remember what it was just now.  
  
"Care of Magical Creatures and Divination; same as me, remember?" Ron interjected before returning to his argument.  
  
"Oh, yeah."  
  
"What's Divination like?" Ginny asked him.  
  
God, I wish she wouldn't do that.  
  
I know. Considering that we were actually regaining a shard of sense…  
  
And then she has to turn that gaze on us.  
  
Bye-bye, sense.  
  
"Er…interesting."  
  
Real smooth.  
  
Yeah. We actually said something coherent to her.  
  
"Really? Ron's always complaining about it, but then he's Ron. I-I don't mean that in a bad way," she quickly backtracked, "but he does have a tendency to exaggerate sometimes."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And we got a new Divination teacher; Miss Bridget Jones. So I guess we'll all be on even footing."  
  
Oh my gosh. We're going to be in Divination with an angel.  
  
Yeah, I just got that too.  
  
Divination is officially my favorite class from this point on. 


	3. Troubled Thoughts

A/N: My italics don't work on FanFiction.net, so the thoughts will be in ^these^ and these. Okay? Good. Now, on with the story.  
  
Also, to that one reviewer: No, the Bridget Jones had nothing to do with `Bridget Jones' Diary' or whatever; it was purely coincidental.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Deal with it.  
  
Ginny was very aware of Harry's dreamy stare, and every second of it seemed to last an hour. She didn't know where to look; everywhere she turned there seemed to be a pair of emerald green eyes staring at her.  
  
She glanced up hopefully and quickly looked back down at her hands.  
  
^Harry Potter is staring at you, and you won't even look at him.^  
  
I just look weird, and he's trying not to laugh.  
  
^Uh huh. You actually expect me to believe that?^  
  
I thought he liked me in my first year. I was so stupid that I sent him that poem, and was publicly humiliated for my efforts. I'm not falling for that again.  
  
^But this is different.^  
  
That's what I thought before.  
  
"Hey, Gin. Wake up. We're talking to you."  
  
Ron's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and back into the multicolored van.  
  
"What?"  
  
"We're here."  
  
Ginny looked around. Harry stood beside the exit, and Ron leaned in through the door. Everyone else was already inside. She felt a hot blush creep up her cheeks at the combined stares of the two boys.  
  
"Oh, right. Sorry." She stood up and began to walk over to the door. Her thoughts were so far removed from her surroundings that she missed the opening and hit the side of the van instead.  
  
"Are you feeling alright, Ginny?" asked Ron. Ginny corrected herself and slid to the ground.  
  
"Er, yeah, just a little tired, that's all." Her cheeks darkened to the color of plums as Ron gave her the `what the heck is wrong with you?' look. She quickly turned around and walked toward the house.  
  
"I can't believe I just did that," Ginny muttered as she entered her room.  
  
"Did what?" Ginny jumped at the sound of another person in the room.  
  
"Oh, it's you." She sighed, seeing Hermione's familiar face on the bed.  
  
"Yes, it's me. What were you talking about?"  
  
"Oh...nothing really very important, just...well...stuff. You know."  
  
Ginny knew she was in for it; Hermione's face had taken on that all-too-familiar look, the `you're not leaving until I know everything'.  
  
"No, I don't know, and I think you should tell me what's going on." The older girl stood up and shut the door to keep out unwanted redheads.  
  
Ginny sat down on the bed and turned to face the wall. "I'm not telling you anything."  
  
"Oh, I see," Hermione exclaimed. "This is all about Harry, isn't it?"  
  
The blank mask of Ginny's face broke for a split second, but she quickly regained control. I won't admit anything, she thought viciously. She can say what she likes, but I'm not going to say a word.  
  
"You're upset and confused about him, and you're having doubts about what to do."  
  
Ginny refused to speak.  
  
"Oh, come on. Have you ever talked to anyone about this kind of thing?"  
  
Ginny allowed herself a slight head shake `no'.  
  
"I mean, you have six brothers..."  
  
"Don't remind me."  
  
"And your mom is wonderful, but even I can tell she's very busy and I don't really know if she'd pay attention to you about this. Ginny, why won't you tell me?"  
  
"You'll tell." Ginny's muffled voice came from between her hands, which by now were pressed tight over her face.  
  
Hermione sighed in annoyance. "Do you really think I would?"  
  
There was no response from the younger girl.  
  
"Your youngest brother is very nice...and...a good friend...but a little preoccupied with Quidditch. He wouldn't understand romance if it slapped him in the face."  
  
Ginny thought there was a hint of regret in Hermione's voice, but when she looked up the other girl had turned away.  
  
"And Harry? Come on, Ginny, I'm not that kind of person. You know me better than that."  
  
A few long, tense minutes went by. Then, finally, Ginny's voice broke the silence.  
  
"Okay. I'll talk." 


	4. Peacock Problems

A/N: Yes, it's yet more insanity! I actually stopped watching Lord of The Rings long enough to write this next chapter, and it has all the qualities my best work contains. Pointless fluff; impossible situations; OoC characters; odd thoughts; and, the best of all: COMPLETE AND TOTAL CRAZINESS! Read and REVIEW OR NO MORE CHAPTERS!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. You got a problem with that?  
  
Harry stared at Ginny's door. It was bolted shut, and he couldn't hear any part of the discussion going on inside. All he knew was that Ginny and Hermione had gone in two hours before, and he was suffering from severe Ginny-deprivation.  
  
The bothersome door suddenly flew open, and Harry jumped backwards as Hermione strode out. Ginny followed, if less forcefully. Harry turned bright red as she looked up at him to find his eyes glued on her.  
  
Hermione walked off down the hall, leaving the two of them alone, in the hallway, staring at each other, and both the same shade as Ginny's hair.  
  
Um...correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Ginny Weasley is staring at us and blushing.  
  
^That's what I thought.^  
  
She's got nice eyes.  
  
Mmm.  
  
^Are you listening to me?^  
  
Not really. I'm a little occupied with the beautiful girl in front of me.  
  
^Yes, I noticed that.^  
  
A sudden explosion at Harry's elbow knocked him forward. Unfortunately, this resulted in knocking Ginny down and leaving him on top of her.  
  
The explosion had come from a small box left in the hall. Confetti blew into the air from the open top. It hung in the air for a second before transforming into peacocks and strutting around the house.  
  
^Is it just me, or are there large birds wandering around us while we lie on top of Ginny Weasley?^  
  
That about sums it up.  
  
^This isn't that bad.^  
  
No, I don't believe it is.  
  
"Er; Harry, are there peacocks wandering around the house?" Ginny asked. Her voice was very high and breathy, but she didn't seem to mind that a boy was pinning her to ground.  
  
"I think so." Harry regained enough control to push up from the floor so that Ginny could move. He got into a sitting position and she struggled to her feet while a peacock gazed at them from Ron's doorway.  
  
Ginny picked her way around the birds, which seemed to be multiplying in number. She sighed and turned to Harry.  
  
"Listen. About two seconds and mum will start screaming."  
  
Sure enough, a shriek sounded from below and Mrs. Weasley's voice was heard.  
  
"FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY COME HERE RIGHT NOW I WANT AN EXPLANATION!!"  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow as the twins came out of their room and leaned over the stairs.  
  
"Yes, mum?"  
  
"Something the matter?"  
  
Harry grinned.  
  
"This happen often?"  
  
Ginny watched as Fred handed a small packet to George behind his back.  
  
"Well, the peacocks are new. Last time it was parakeets and ostriches."  
  
"I pity you."  
  
"Hey, it keeps my life interesting." She smiled at him before turning and heading down the stairs as powder flew from the packet and became several large, fluffy white rabbits. 


	5. Malkin Mistakes

A/N: Hello evybody! I'm back again, to torment you! Hooray! I finally got past the first two hours of my story, so time is working again in Harry/Ginny world. Read and, please, please review! Reading your reviews inspires me to write more, and I find it depressing to have only ten for a four-chapter story. Come ON!  
  
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing them. I won't hurt them, I promise. Mortally embarrass, yes. Physically kill, no.  
  
  
  
Harry woke to Mrs. Weasley's voice beside his bed. "Harry, we're going to Diagon Alley; you have to get up so we can go."  
  
He opened his eyes a crack and rolled over, falling off the bed in the process.  
  
"Ouch! That hurt!"  
  
"Are you okay, dear?"  
  
"Yeah." Harry rubbed his head. "Just awake, that's all. I'll be down in a few minutes." He stood up and yawned. Sun streamed in through the lopsided window, illuminating Ron as he sat up in bed and blinked sleepily.  
  
"We're going to Diagon Alley; hurry up and get dressed!" Harry commanded as he changed and grabbed his wand. Ron sighed, then grinned at Harry.  
  
"The Cannons came in 49th! Hooray!" He leapt out of bed and began scrambling his things together. Apparently, the Cannons' victory was Ron's guiding star through the day, Harry thought as he ran down the stairs to meet the rest of the family.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Harry stood on the steps of Gringotts, his bag heavy with coins. The sun sparkled off the marble steps, sending fractured rainbows everywhere.  
  
Ron turned to Hermione, his ears redder than his hair.  
  
"So; where do you want to go, 'Mione?" Harry choked on a laugh at the expression on Hermione's face at the pet name.  
  
"Oh, it really doesn't matter; wherever you want to."  
  
Harry grinned broadly as his two friends wandered off, unconsciously holding hands as they went down the steps.  
  
"Methinks Ronniekins has someone on his mind." Fred's voice came from behind Harry. "And I do too." Harry was not surprised to see Fred standing with his arm around Angelina, nor to find George holding the hand of Alicia.  
  
"Well, we must follow the turtledoves. Au revior!" George called as the double pair glided down the steps.  
  
Harry realize then that he had been left standing on the steps of Gringotts alone with Ginny Weasley. Percy had mysteriously vanished at the sight of Penelope, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had stopped to talk with some friends.  
  
"Er…so…where do want to go?" Harry asked Ginny, feeling more embarrassed than he had ever thought possible.  
  
Ginny appeared to be as embarrassed as he felt. Her cheeks grew steadily redder as she stammered, "Um…I guess…what I really need…er…robes…yes…robes."  
  
"Okay then; let's go." Harry didn't dare take her hand, so instead he walked right beside her, staying as close to her as possible without actually purposely touching.  
  
As they entered Madame Malkin's, Harry's eye fell on a brand-new selection of dress robes. Ginny, being a girl, was quite willing to follow him over and inspect the array of colors and textures that met their eyes.  
  
"But there's really no need for dress robes," Ginny sighed. "There's not going to be a ball this year, and I wouldn't get to use them."  
  
"Oh, yes, you would," came a voice behind them. The pair turned to find Madame Malkin herself. "There's to be a Valentine's ball this year, as well as Christmas. It's a new thing, since the Yule ball was such a success last year."  
  
Harry flushed at the memory. ^Success? More like disaster^ he thought, but said nothing.  
  
Ginny's eyes were glowing. "So I can get new robes after all!" She turned and began flipping through the color swatches.  
  
Harry noticed a pained look on the redhead's face. "What's the matter, Ginny?" he asked softly, leaning toward her.  
  
"Oh, these are much too expensive," she murmured. "I'll never be able to afford one." Her face suddenly took on a horrified expression and she covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh! I-I didn't mean t-to say that, I just meant I didn't-I didn't want new robes. I like mine just mine. I mean…"  
  
"Oh, say, Ginny, I really need to get my books; would you rather stay here or come with me?" Harry asked, neatly taking the conversation away from the touchy issue.  
  
Mostly he was thinking about comforting Ginny at the moment, but a faraway corner of his brain whispered, ^If she wants new dress robes, she'll have new dress robes, no matter what it takes to get them.^ 


	6. Silken Sales

A/N: Hi!!! I had too much sugar today, and I discovered that onion bagels, when used properly, can make one hyper. I decided to have some fun; RAYOR (Read At Your Own Risk) ATR (And Then Review).  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I thought we went over this before.  
  
  
  
Harry waited in Florish and Blotts until Ginny was immersed in peering through "One Thousand Magical Ways to Improve Your Appearance" by Trojan Helena, before heading back to Madame Malkin's. He headed straight to the woman who had mentioned the balls earlier before he lost his nerve.  
  
^You are beyond stupid, you know that.^  
  
Of course. What else would I be?  
  
^Do you really want to know?^  
  
I'll pass.  
  
^Good choice.^  
  
"Er…excuse me."  
  
She smiled benevolently down at him. "Hello! Weren't you in here earlier with that pretty little redhead? How can I help you?"  
  
Harry, feeling slightly confused by her sudden questions, mumbled a, "Er, yes, I suppose so," before continuing.  
  
"I wanted to order a set of dress robes, to be delivered to Hogwarts on the first day of term." The words slipped out before he could think about them. He could feel the blush creeping slowly up his cheeks as the woman looked him over appraisingly.  
  
"They're not for you, are they," she stated, swinging him into a back room.  
  
His face grew redder as he stammered, "Well…n-not exactly…but how did you guess?"  
  
She smiled at him. "Why would you have them delivered instead of taking them now, and why would you be blushing? Are they for a girl?"  
  
This is uncanny.  
  
^You can say that again.^  
  
This is…  
  
^It's a figure of speech.^  
  
"Er…yeah, I guess."  
  
"Okay. Here are the color choices for you to look at. I'll leave you here for a few minutes to choose. Oh, and by the way," she called as she went out the door, "Greens are the best color for redheads."  
  
"Thank you," Harry mumbled before he realized what she had said. "Wait…how did you…". But the door had already swung shut.  
  
That was creepy.  
  
^Oh well. On with business.^  
  
Harry spent a few minutes before deciding on a rich forest green, to compliment the dark tint of her hair. The woman came back in almost as soon as he made his decision.  
  
"Er…I suppose I'd like this color," Harry told her, pointing out the sample. "In silk, please."  
  
"A good choice," the woman responded, scribbling a note on a floating pad of paper. "It will be sent to Hogwarts on the first day, and it'll cost thirty Galleons."  
  
Harry scooped out a handful of gold and handed it to her without really thinking about it. His head was filled with a wonderful vision: Ginny dressed in smooth, flowing robes of green, her hair accented by an emerald tiara, dancing with a much-improved Harry who had mastered the art of dancing and of smooth hair.  
  
  
  
A/N: Daniel: I don't know if I entirely believe you….Katherine, you will die if it's you.  
  
Cripton: I thought it was funny….  
  
Gabnif: Awww! Short and sweet!  
  
Lion s: Hello, Katherine.  
  
Anaique: Yay! We need more H/G fanfics in the world!!!  
  
Beccy: Thank you so much! (sheds a tear)  
  
Me?: Thank you sooo much! You reviewed TWICE!! (holds up as sign of great reader to others)  
  
Why Should I Tell You?: Why are you reading it, then?  
  
Great Globs of Smiles: thank you so much! I'm feeling all warm and bubbly inside; I LOVE reviews!  
  
Radcliffe's Girl: Yeah, those are my moments of genius.  
  
Shnickers: well, yeah, but I have a certain amount of poetic license. Thank you for the first review; That is another one of my best moments.  
  
WN: Thank you!!!!  
  
Bob: Thank you again! I love reviews!  
  
Soda Pop: Not really; pure luck. Thank you!!!!  
  
MissTJ: Once again, a truly brillent moment of mine.  
  
Salamandar the Great: Define 'delete'. 


	7. Juice Jitters

A/N: I skipped over the rest of Harry's time with the Weasleys, because otherwise it would get repetitive. We're now at Platform 9¾. R/R!!!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. Zero. Zip. Nada. Not a crumb. Get used to disappointment. (Okay) (Princess Bride joke there)  
  
  
  
Harry stood on the train steps, staring at the back of Ginny's head as they forced their way inside the train. The crowded conditions, though bad from one point of view, could be used to an advantage; Ron had just succeeded in 'accidentally' tripping Malfoy as he brushed past.  
  
"Not bad there, Ronniekins," Fred laughed as the twins slid past. George ruffled his flaming hair, leaving Ron to blush furiously as Hermione smoothed it back down.  
  
The small group moved slowly down the length of the train, leaving Fred and George to their own compartment. For some strange reason, no one wanted to share a room with them.  
  
"Hey! Up here!" Ron called from the front. "There's an empty one here!"  
  
Harry trailed into the compartment, sliding his new suitcase into the overhead compartment before following Ginny's hair.  
  
Hermione shut the door with a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I hate being cramped together in a small space."  
  
"You're claustrophobic?" Ginny asked curiously.  
  
Ron stared at her, bewilderment pasted across his face. "Closo-what?"  
  
"Claustrophobic," Harry responded automatically. "It means a ridiculous fear of small, dark spaces."  
  
Hermione nodded approvingly. "It does. I am, a little, but I can deal with it if I have to."  
  
"I didn't know that!" Ron exclaimed, staring at her in shock.  
  
"Not as though you ever asked!" Hermione retorted, two small red spots appearing on her cheeks. "You can't expect me to just say one night at dinner, 'oh, by the way, I'm slightly scared of cramped spaces'!"  
  
Harry sighed and looked out the window.  
  
^It's going to be a long, long ride.^  
  
You said it.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Harry swallowed the last of his gravy, proud that he had gotten through his dinner without any Ginny-induced mishaps. He lifted his mug of pumpkin juice and risked a peek.  
  
She was talking with her friends, but as he glanced at her, she looked up. Her chocolate eyes met his. Her cheeks turned slightly pink and she slowly looked away. Her hand went over her mouth to hide a bright smile that suddenly appeared.  
  
Harry was snapped back to reality by a cold feeling on his front. He looked down and groaned.  
  
^Great. You just managed to dump a cup of chilled pumpkin juice down the front of your robes.^  
  
Well, I-hang on! I managed to? What about you thinking 'oh, we'll be fine'?  
  
^I was trusting you to watch that hand with the cup.^  
  
Oh, while you stared at her? What about my part?  
  
^Let's take this outside, shall we?^  
  
Let's.  
  
Harry got to his room without further mishap, and set about changing into a dry set of robes.  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed!  
  
Me?: Working on getting to the reaction...next chapter, I promise. Thanks for reviewing so much!!!!!! It causes me to get sugar-high without the use of sugar!  
  
Nerdvana: Thank you! I've gone too far to back out for the titles; oh well  
  
Soda Pop: Thank you for reviewing multiple times!!! It makes me happy!!!  
  
Gabnif: Once again, thanks for reviewing twice!!! Everyone, look to those three as an example of good reviewers!  
  
Anie: Thanks…is this Katherine, by any chance? 


	8. Morning Misery

A/N: I'm baaaaack!!!!!!!! I'm excited because I just discovered KaZaA.com, this great music website…GO THERE!!!!! I'm getting off subject…just read and review while I listen to my music! This chapter gets practically nothing done, but it sets the stage for #9!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing, not even the mind-speak (though I love doing it); that came from Firebolt909. I repeat this about five times, but otherwise I feel guilty, so deal with it. Thanks!!!!  
  
  
  
Harry woke up the next morning to the sun shining through his bed hangings. He lay awake in bed, for a few moments blissfully happy without knowing why. Then he remembered that Ginny would get her new robes in a matter of hours. His happiness melted like the Wicked Witch of the West.  
  
How did we come up with that simile?  
  
^I don't want to know.^  
  
Good point.  
  
He dragged his unwilling body into his robes and pushed his feet down the stairs. Every step seemed to be sounding his death knoll. Unfortunately, no matter how slowly he walked, he still moved forward, and he reached the door far earlier than he wished.  
  
You first.  
  
^Oh, no, you first, I insist.^  
  
No, really…  
  
^No, no, you…^  
  
Fine. We'll both go.  
  
^Okay.^  
  
Count of three.  
  
^One…^  
  
Two…  
  
^THREE!!^  
  
The great door creaked open. Harry's frightened eyes took in the surroundings at once.  
  
In one way, it was good that he arrived just as the mail arrived, as it kept most eyes from turning to the late student. In another way, it was horrible beyond belief.  
  
A pair of huge, stunned, chocolate brown eyes looked up and connected with two terrified emerald greens.  
  
Oh, bloody hell.  
  
^Death to Weasley gazes.^  
  
  
  
A/N: Hee hee! Next time:  
  
Find out what Ginny thinks!  
  
Okay, that was odd. Also, I am aware that 'bloody' is an extremely strong curse in England; but I was considering what I would say in that situation (you don't want to know, trust me).  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Gw4e: Me too. Bwa ha ha ha!!!  
  
Me?: You're welcome! Your mind isn't any stranger than mine; remember, I'm weird enough to write this stuff (  
  
Gabnif: Just curious; do you ever go to the poetry area? Whenever I do, I review for a lot, but there are almost no reviews over there.  
  
Beccy: Your review made me laugh hysterically for three minutes solid.  
  
The White Plume: I love your name.  
  
Ax: YES!!!!! Cho must die!!!!! Sorry; I think I've had about five sodas in the last two hours.  
  
Fleur Delacour: Thanks!  
  
Ax: I got the mind-argument from The Chaser and The Captain, by Firebolt909. Both had me literally falling off my chair laughing hysterically.  
  
MoonBunni: Thank you! You have an adorable name, by the way.  
  
Lockreed: thanks; I'm not really sure how much of the humor is original and how much is a conglomeration of other fanfics I've read, but I try.  
  
Bumblebee: Aww!!! Thank you so much!!!!! I love reviews like yours!!!  
  
Okay, now; I want EVERY SINGLE PERSON who liked the mind-talk to read at least The Chaser by Firebolt909, and those who like H/G to go to GryffindorTower.net. You'll enjoy them, trust me!!!! 


	9. Evil Emotions

A/N: Don't hurt me! I know I ended the last chapter on a cliffie, but I don't usually do those, and I had to do it just once. This story isn't going to last much longer; I'm hoping to maybe hit 20 short chapters at the most. This chapter. Involves a great deal of S.T.O.P. (Senseless Torture Of Potter, for those of you who are not up-to-date on GryffindorTower acronyms), and I LOVE writing this! I will exit now to my own dreams of a certain duo of guys; D.L. and M.L. (Ohh, look at that! Same last initial!)  
  
Now, on with the story!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters belong to J.K. Rowling, wonderful creator of Harry Potter and Ginny *cough*Potter*cough* Weasley. Thought arguments belong to the great and wonderful Queen of H/G, Firebolt909. S.T.O.P. belongs to the wonderful Queens of H/G, creators of GryffindorTower.net!!!!  
  
  
  
Harry's horrified mind had no control over his body. His head was screaming to turn and run far, far way, but his heart was pounding with delight at having Ginny Weasley's unoccupied gaze on him. The end result was two teenagers on opposite sides of a crowded room, staring at each other and locked in place.  
  
Eventually, Harry's legs automatically backed up and his hand let the door swing shut. As soon as the hypnotic gaze was broken, the thrill her expression had caused melted away, leaving a cold, heavy horror to fill him. He shuffled heavily over to the foot of the staircase and collapsed against the railing. His head fell forward into his hands, glasses slipping down his nose as he did so.  
  
^Oh god.^  
  
Oh god.  
  
^Oh GOD!^  
  
What the hell did we do THAT for?  
  
^That was beyond all stupidity.^  
  
She'll hate us forever now.  
  
He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of the door opening. He looked up, only to be confronted by the same redhead that had caused him all the pain that now filled his heart.  
  
She carried the robes in her arms, the smooth new silk contrasting with her faded and patched ordinary pair. He averted his gaze as she knelt down beside him.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
Her voice was more than he could bear; the tone was filled with a sweet worry and concern for him. It smashed through his numb shell, starting a whole new fountain of pain.  
  
"Did you send me these?"  
  
He forced himself to meet her gaze and whatever emotions were reflected there. Emerald eyes connected with chocolate, and for a moment that same overpowering emotion flooded him.  
  
Her nodded slightly, looking aside again. He was now intensely aware of her soft breath on his cheek and her soft eyes watching him. He shut his eyes, trying to block out the feelings that filled him.  
  
"Thank you." Her voice shook very slightly with suppressed feeling, and a thought suddenly hit Harry.  
  
^She's just as frightened as we are.^  
  
He looked up at her again, taking in her expression; eyes filled with trembling anxiety; arms clutched around the deep green robes; cheeks flushed with emotion; hair up in a loose twist at her neck.  
  
Suddenly his mind lost control over his heart. His head moved forward; his lips came within centimeters of hers.  
  
Suddenly he realized what he was doing. He pulled away suddenly, his eyes snapped away from her face to avoid seeing her reaction. His legs carried him up and away from her, sprinting up the stairs and to the common room, past the Fat Lady and into the safety of his own dorm.  
  
Only when he was sitting on his bed with the curtains shut did he pause to think over what had happened.  
  
Oh, hell.  
  
^Now she'll think we hate her.^  
  
She wasn't angry with us.  
  
^But she must be now.^  
  
Why can't anything be easy for us?  
  
  
  
A/N: Hee hee; that was intensely satisfying. Will Harry ever get up the nerve to kiss Ginny? (Well, DUH!) Will he ever get over his insane mind- babble? (No way) Will he ever go with Ginny to the ball? (Oh, I wonder…*heavy sarcasm*) Will I ever get out of my Ginny/ Harry fantasy? (Dream on).  
  
Reviewers:  
  
One that shalt kill all republicans: Asses as in donkeys? I bet this is Kat. The whole 'I heard…' was a big clue. You neglected to mention the heart-breaking conclusion before; I will take liberty and dream on as I usually do. Interesting name; by the way, I'm not Republican or particularly Democratic either.  
  
Kiwi: Okay…is that good or bad?  
  
Tiny Teddy: Yeah, actually; but I love reviews, so that's a good thing.  
  
Sherylyn: YES!!! Exactly! Firebolt had better get working on Chapter 14; I'm fed up with The Ballad of Ginny and Harry. I implemented a huge use of S.T.O.P. in this one; I discovered it's even more fun to write it than to read it! Feel free to review again or e-mail me at SumerDreamHelena@aol.com. And if this is Kat, she will die.  
  
Gabnif: Aww! I'm so touched!  
  
Me?: Evility ROCKS!!!  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Interesting name, I must say; thanks for the review, though I am not too pleased to hear about your reading habits; DEATH TO MALFOY AND SLASH!!!!!!!! Ginny/Harry 4eva!  
  
Kat: Did you mean to send in 3 identical reviews?  
  
Spiderguy: I like the birds! That was a stroke of genius on my part! Gaa! Sorry; I keep hearing comments on my birds. Unless, of course, they're all Kat, in which case…  
  
Me: Ha ha. This is Kat; remember, you told me already.  
  
Kelly: Your wish is my command! 


	10. Painful Promise

A/N: I'm here!!!! I am so happy; you reviewed 13 TIMES after ONE new chapter, all in less than 24 hours!!!!!!!!! And I've been working on a school play for the last month, and we're doing it tomorrow and the day after (A/N: We just finished it for the first time and I'm happy and overly excited). After that, I'll have more free time (I hope). And free time=more updates!!!!!! Yay!!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Characters, setting, mind speak, aren't mine. Heck, nothing in this fic is mine. I'm sure someone has a copyright on the alphabet, so I may as well apologize for using that too.  
  
  
  
Ginny sat at the bottom of the stairs, thoughts running crazily through her dazed mind.  
  
Harry came this close to kissing me.  
  
^Why didn't he?^  
  
Maybe he suddenly remembered that he hated us after a momentary memory lapse.  
  
^It's possible…^  
  
Heck, maybe he was abducted by aliens and then replaced just now.  
  
^What if he wanted to kiss us and then freaked out last second?^  
  
He's faced He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named three times! Why would a simple kiss with a girl scare him?  
  
^I don't know.^  
  
He must really hate us, if he backed out like that.  
  
^*sniff*^  
  
Waaa….  
  
Tears spilled over her lashes and slid down freckled cheeks. Misery enveloped her like a cloud, only vanishing for a moment Dumbledore walked by in shocking pink bunny slippers with floppy ears on them.  
  
BUNNY SLIPPERS!!!  
  
^They're pink!^  
  
I wish we had a camera.  
  
^Does it really matter? Harry hates us.^  
  
Good point.  
  
As the last student walked past, Ginny forced herself to her feet. She was going to be late to Divination, but she really didn't care. Her feet shuffled slowly up the stairs and toward the airy loft where Miss Jones had set up the class.  
  
She stumbled up the ladder and into the room. From Ron's description, she had expected perfume, mist, and lacy silk puffs for seats. Instead, there were several neat rows of chairs with a desk and board at the front. Ginny stood nervously at the back of the room, only pausing to note where Harry sat and to slide slightly away from him.  
  
A statuesque blond stood behind the desk. Her sharp gray eyes found and pinned the new student to her place.  
  
"Ginny Weasley?" she asked tartly, her voice cutting Ginny down from a tall 4th year to a quivering child, crying over nothing more than a boy's affections. Ginny nodded timidly, wisps of red hair swinging across her face and causing her to feel yet more childish.  
  
"You are sitting over there," Miss Jones informed her brusquely, waving toward the last empty seat. Ginny walked slowly to her place, somewhere between tears and delight at being across the room from Harry.  
  
^What are we going to do now?^  
  
Avoid him whenever possible.  
  
^I know that's best…but…^  
  
I'm going to miss him.  
  
^Me too.^  
  
  
  
A/N: Review replies!!!! You gave me thirteen first day of the new chapter; I'm so happy!!  
  
Hathor: Now you know!  
  
Rose: WoW!!!! 7 reviews from ONE person!!! Individual responses to your reviews:  
  
1: Exactly my thinking.  
  
2: S.T.O.P. is so cool  
  
3: Naturally! H/G 4EVA!!!!  
  
6: Thank you!!!  
  
7: Hee hee!  
  
8: Hey, that's his problem, not Ginny's.  
  
9: PINK BUNNY SLIPPERS ROCK!!!!  
  
MoonBunni: Thank you soo much!  
  
English Rose: EXACTLY! KaZaA is the BEST!  
  
Kiwi: Thank you!!! I am so happy now!  
  
Angel St. James: I was laughing hysterically at your review, just so you know.  
  
TheBlindAssasin: Ohh you listened to my review! I'm so touched! :-) D/H is strange, but hey, whatever you like. Thank you!!!  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: I love your name.  
  
Tari: My thoughts exactly. 


	11. Guilty Gazes

A/N: Hi! My form in this chapter isn't the best, and I throw in a bunch of stuff that makes it choppy and I dislike, but I wanted to have some fun with it, so please bear with me.  
  
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah, I don't own anything, who cares? I'm just a teenager who likes writing stories; who's gonna sue me anyway?  
  
  
  
Miss Jones faced the class, her sparking eyes showing none of the dreamy airiness Harry had come to expect in a Divination teacher. He unconsciously sat up a little straighter in his seat, for once looking forward to the lesson.  
  
^Maybe we'll be able to forget about her for a while.^  
  
Be serious. Not even Draco the Incredible Bouncing Ferret could do that.  
  
^What are we going to do? We can't go for the rest of the year dreaming about her and accomplishing nothing.^  
  
What else do you propose? We can't just say, 'sorry, I lost my nerve that time when I tried to kiss you, may I try again?'  
  
^I know. I just wish…^  
  
I know.  
  
The teacher's clear voice broke through Harry's thoughts, snapping back into painful reality.  
  
"I am your new Divination teacher, Professor Jones. I understand that Sybil Trelawney was your former teacher. As such, I am not surprised if many of you think of Divination as a bit of mythical nonsense."  
  
Harry was shocked to hear a professor speak in such an obviously degrading manner about another adult. Miss Jones continued speaking, seemingly deaf to the gasps that echoed Harry's thoughts.  
  
"There are several types of so-called Divination that are quite obviously meaningless. However, a few forms have proved themselves repeatedly to be reliable forms of predicting the future. Nothing so clear as birthdates or names, of course, but important facts, nonetheless. The centaurs, for example, watch the stars and planets to predict events. Though this is a difficult process, when used properly it can give one valuable insight."  
  
Piercing gray eyes turned on Harry, and the class followed her gaze; all but one. Harry glanced across the classroom for an instant to see Ginny Weasley staring fixedly ahead, features frozen into an unbreakable mask.  
  
"Fifteen years ago, the centaurs predicted the birth of one who bring about Voldemort's downfall. That same person is sitting in this room right now."  
  
Harry felt a hot blush creep up his cheeks. Why did every teacher have to mention his abnormality among wizards? Even when among his 'own kind', as his relatives would put it, he stood out. He could never live a normal life like Hannah Abbott or Colin Creevy. Instead, he was always in the spotlight, always stared at and pointed out.  
  
Professor Jones continued talking about examples of astronomy predictions coming true, but Harry tuned her out. She had already shown herself to be a star-struck adult as far as he was concerned.  
  
Unfortunately, tuning out the Professor left Harry with absolutely nothing to do. Before he could stop himself, he found his eyes glued to Ginny. Waves of deep red hair cascaded down over faded black robes.  
  
Suddenly, Ginny glanced at him. Too late, he realized what he was doing, but his eyes had connected with hers. For an instant, guilt and misery vanished, to be replaced by visions of huge brown eyes.  
  
^Oh my god.^  
  
Bliss.  
  
^She's staring at us.^  
  
Someone tell the face to cool it.  
  
^I already tried; it won't listen.^  
  
Ginny slowly turned away. Instantly, all the emotions Harry had felt before flooded back, only slightly numbed by the residue of delight eh had felt.  
  
^What the hell are we going to do?^  
  
Ask her to the Christmas Ball?  
  
^Don't be…hey, I know. Let's ask her to the Christmas Ball!^  
  
That's what I just…  
  
^Shut up.^  
  
  
  
A/N: That last bit was built off of The Lion King, if you recognize it. Anyway, I should get some more interesting stuff in here soon (get Harry and Ginny out of their depression), and I'm planning to add more R/H, as a nice setting. Now for the review responses:  
  
  
  
Twinkle: Okay…should I ask?  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Exactly. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha….  
  
Julephenia: Yes!!! Thank you sooo much!  
  
Nat: Yeah; it comes of being boy-crazy and a mushy romantic who stays awake at night thinking up romantic, tragical situations in which the girl almost dies and the guy rescues her. I've done this since age 8.  
  
Hathor: Yes it is sad…I'm not sure how I came up with this, but I don't really have it planned out; I just let the story come as I type.  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: Ohh! Thank you!!! I'm so touched!  
  
Gabnif: Thank you!! The play went very well, and today we were in the local paper (which means I also get a piccy of my one true love, who I sit next to in Drama, and I got his autograph today in my script, and I'm happy).  
  
IcantBELIEVEitsNOTbutter: Well, yes…do you mean that as a bad thing? I mean, Joel here (waves at air to right) likes coming up with this…  
  
TheBlindAssassin: Thank you soo much for reviewing! Yeah, that part was fun. Did you update your fanfic recently, by the way??? 


	12. Christmas Cheer

A/N: Hi!!! I am inspired, but this chapter was forced to skip forward several months, just to warn you. Sorry (dodges rotten tomatoes) but I didn't have the patience to drag myself kicking and screaming through October and November before we got to the ball. Please be nice and review. Thanks!!!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!!!! How many times do I have to say this??!!!! I am just having fun!!!!  
  
  
  
Ginny awoke to a loud beeping at her ear. She sleepily rolled over and pulled back her curtain to reveal a small translucent clock. The hand pointed to "Why the HECK are you still in bed?!". She sighed and smacked the side to shut off the alarm. Her calendar had automatically flipped the November page up to reveal December.  
  
When did that happen?  
  
^When the author got fed up with it. Don't ask me, she does that occasionally.^  
  
I hate that.  
  
^Oh well.^  
  
At least she made it the weekend.  
  
Ginny yawned and dragged out her battered trunk. 'WEASLEY' was carved deep into the top; it had been her father's originally. A tap of her wand snapped it open, and three sets of dark robes were soon cast aside.  
  
Finally, her fingertips found what they were looking for; the soft feel of new robes. Ginny pulled out her family's birthday present to her; a brand- new winter outfit. She had been surprised that they had spent that much on her, but apparently her mother had discovered that her baby was now a girl, as Ron would put it, and that her brother's robes simply would not work for her figure much longer. The customary loose blacks still fit, but the non- uniform ones were no longer working, and so Ginny had got new robes.  
  
For an instant her hand brushed a neat pile of silk, and Ginny paused to look at the rich green dress at the bottom of the chest. Her fingers caressed the smooth fabric, and her mind wandered back to the first day of school.  
  
^I wonder if we'll ever get to wear them to the ball.^  
  
How likely is it? We can't wear something like that on our own, and who would ask us?  
  
^Yeah. I guess we'll just spend Christmas Eve re-reading 1000 Magical Herbs and Fungi or something.^  
  
Ginny carefully removed her birthday robes and covered Harry's gift with her uniforms. The heavy carved lid shut on the memories and thoughts that crowded Ginny's mind.  
  
Her new robes were white, charmed to shimmer in light; the end effect was a dress that seemed to be covered in snowflakes. Ginny had always thought white washed out her features, but this time it seemed to bring out the rich color of her eyes and the deep tint of her hair instead. The shimmer added a bit of glamour to her looks as well, and she suddenly decided to leave her hair flowing down her back instead of up as she usually did.  
  
After brushing her hair, Ginny went down to the common room, feeling unusually excited over the possibilities of the day. Since the events of September, she had started her mornings feeling melancholy and miserable, but for some reason the dress seemed to fill her with exhilaration.  
  
~*~*~  
  
As Ginny entered the Common Room, her eyes met an unusual scene. The room was deserted except for three 5th years, and the sight of HIM was almost enough to send Ginny scrambling back into her room. The only thing that stopped her was the sight of Ron and Hermione standing together in the middle of the room, talking quietly instead of yelling. It was so startling that she approached without thinking to find out what had caused the change.  
  
Ron was stammering over his words, his ears the exact shade as Lavender's new dress robes. He couldn't seem to meet Hermione's eyes, and instead was staring at his hands and shuffling back and forth. Harry was sitting on a nearby couch, watching the whole scene with obvious interest.  
  
As she came closer, Ginny was able to catch a few of Ron's words.  
  
"Er, well, what I'm trying to say is…er…well…you know…erm….I-I know it's a bit early, but…last year you said to ask you before the last minute…er…well…I guess…what I'm asking is….comeballwitme?"  
  
Hermione's face was all confusion for a moment, but as soon as she could decode what Ron had said, it filled with astonishment and (was Ginny imagining it?) delight.  
  
"Are you…I mean…are you asking me to come to the Christmas Ball with you?"  
  
"Er…well…yes…"  
  
"ARE YOU CRAZY?! Of COURSE I'll go to the ball with you! What did you think I would say?"  
  
"Er…"  
  
"Listen, Ron, I know you can be pretty stupid sometimes, but that one takes them all. Honestly!" Hermione turned and stormed off up the stairs, leaving a very bewildered Ron to trail slowly up to his dormitory.  
  
Ginny dared a glance at Harry, suddenly uncomfortably aware that they were alone together in the room. For once, he wasn't watching her with a strange expression on his face. Instead, he looked at her as though he was about to start laughing.  
  
"I was wondering how long he would wait before he got around to asking her," he commented. Suddenly, he seemed to realize who she was, and the laughter died on his lips.  
  
Ginny held perfectly still, watching him looking at her in her new dress. She felt a warm blush creep up her cheeks, but this was different than all those time she had blushed out of embarrassment. This time, she was blushing with overflowing delight at the fact that HARRY POTTER was staring at her with unabashed admiration in his green eyes.  
  
"Wow," was the first word out of his mouth. "You look…great. Like snowflakes." Ginny blushed deeper and allowed herself a smile. It was like old times, without the wall that had sprung up after September 1st.  
  
"Er…thanks," she murmured, not entirely sure what one said when your One True Love had suddenly dropped a compliment after three months of silence.  
  
"Um…" Harry stood up, running his hand through his already messy black hair. Ginny's fingers itched to smooth it, but she kept them clasped, tightly, behind her back.  
  
"Well…I have to ask you something…I guess this is the best time." He was obviously nervous; now he was removing his glasses and rubbing them with the corner of his green shirt. Ginny noticed vaguely that it was the same color as his eyes.  
  
"Er…I…I was wondering…do you have a date for the ball?" He carefully slowed his speech and managed to keep from slurring his question into an incomprehensible ball.  
  
Ginny's heart sped up as she began to realize what was coming, but she forced herself to respond.  
  
"Yes, I-I mean, no, I don't have a date…er…yeah…I don't have a date."  
  
"Er…d-do you want to me with go? I mean, go with me?"  
  
Ginny's words stumbled over each other in her haste to respond. Her heart was pounding so violently against her chest, she felt certain he must notice.  
  
"Sure, yes, of course. I'd love to go with you, er, that is, if you want me to go with you…"  
  
"Yes…yes, I do, very much. So you will?"  
  
"Yes." Ginny had to restrain herself to keep from adding more.  
  
Harry's eyes sparkled with obvious delight. "Great! Um…yeah…okay then. So, I'll see you later." He grinned at her and strolled over toward the boy's stairway.  
  
As Ginny let herself collapse into an armchair, Harry's voice floated down to her.  
  
"Oh, and Ginny? You should wear that dress for often; it's pretty."  
  
Oh, believe me, Harry, I will.  
  
  
  
A/N: Aww! I had to stop with the torture; it was getting to be too much. Anyway, so now I'm set up for solid FLUFF in the upcoming chapter (Heck, I might try a combo of mushy fluff; that's my favorite). I know Harry was messed up, but bear with me. Okay, I have exactly TWO reviews for Chapter 11. C'mon, guys, where's your spirit?  
  
Gabnif: Yeah…same here. You should see me with my guy in Drama, especially during SSR. We're across from each other during that, and we did almost no reading last time. He would look at me, and I'd look at him, and…yeah, you get the picture.  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: YES!!! He finally got around to it. Took him long enough…oh, wait. I'm writing this thing. I swear, I have almost no control over the plot; I just let the characters act as the would. I just give them confidence boosts occasionally. 


	13. Observant Others

A/N: HP+GW. Okay, I just had to say that. (Not to mention KJ+ML; don't even ask). I discovered that I have restrictive airway disorder (otherwise known as bronchitis) (otherwise known as asthma) yesterday, and so I skipped half of school on Thursday and stayed home Friday; however, THE FLUFF MUST GO ON! So, read (and review); I'm so touched! 98 reviews!!!!!! Can we hit 100? Everyone liked the fluff, so it will continue; I love writing it, I lie awake at night dreaming up romantic situations (granted, different characters; myself, and any one of, oh, 3-5 guys, depending on how the day went). This note is getting insanely long, so I'll go now (voice yells from backstage 'hey, you gonna finish this thing or not? I'm kind of hanging here.' 'insolent Harry! Ginny, please shut him up') (5 seconds later, sounds of teenage snogging can be heard)  
  
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING AT ALL. Got that? Thank you.  
  
  
  
Harry threw himself onto his bed, burying his face in a pillow. He did not want Ron to notice the irrepressible grin that completely covered his face.  
  
^We asked her.^  
  
We asked GINNY WEASLEY, the prettiest and sweetest and nicest and kindest girl in this whole ruddy school to the ball.  
  
^You forgot cutest.^  
  
Sorry.  
  
"Girls are so hard to understand!"  
  
Harry jumped; he had forgotten Ron was in the room.  
  
"Er; sure."  
  
"I mean, I thought she was happy I had asked her to the ball, but then she suddenly was yelling at me. I just don't understand it."  
  
He couldn't help but sit up and grin at Ron.  
  
"Isn't it obvious? She's not used to feeling the way she does about you, so she hides it behind anger."  
  
Ron stared at him in astonishment.  
  
"Harry…you're…you're starting to sound like that advice columnist my mum reads all the time; Anna Laskers."  
  
Harry shrugged. "Being happy causes one to be observant."  
  
Harry suddenly realized what he'd said as Ron fixed him with a wide-eyed stare.  
  
"Being happy? What exactly made you happy? As I recall this morning you seemed pretty depressed."  
  
"Er…well…"  
  
"Does this have ANYTHING to do with the ten minutes you spent downstairs with my little sister, ALONE?"  
  
"Er…well…is this a trick question?"  
  
Ron was giving Harry a glare that Harry felt sure would have given Snape a run for his money.  
  
"You had better have a PERFECT explanation, or I'll…"  
  
Harry was slowly backing up, but he knew he would hit the wall before long and then…  
  
"Ron!"  
  
Never had Hermione's voice been as welcome as it was then, Harry reflected.  
  
^And that is really saying something.^  
  
Yeah; remember that time in our first year with the troll?  
  
^And she saved our skins.^  
  
Yeah.  
  
Ron had spun completely around, ears going from freckled to scarlet in .89 seconds. Harry considered making a run for it, but then changed his mind as he saw his two best friends standing staring at each other.  
  
^Oh, this'll be good.^  
  
Tell me about it.  
  
"Er…well…Ron…you see…I was coming to…to…er…apologize…for blowing up at you…."  
  
"Oh, no…well…I caused it…you know…I guess that was really unexpected…for you…yeah."  
  
"Oh. Well, um, yeah, so…I guess…sorry for getting angry…."  
  
(Author jumps into scene.)  
  
K.E.L.: NOOO!!!! You supposed to wait until the BALL, you idiots!!!  
  
Ron: You sound like Percy.  
  
Hermione: Yeah! I can go around snogging whoever I want to!  
  
Harry: By the way, are you ever going to get MY turn with Ginny up yet?  
  
K.E.L.: Er….  
  
Ron: I KNEW it! Why you little…  
  
K.E.L.: Okay! Back up!  
  
(Author hits rewind)  
  
"…sorry for getting angry…"  
  
"Yeah, same here. Um…yeah…so I'll see you later?"  
  
"Yeah…I'm not really supposed to be here…"  
  
"Oh, yeah…okay then…so I'll see you later…"  
  
"Uh…yeah…okay."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Harry watched Ron as he watched Hermione walk slowly out of the room. The redhead turned to Harry with a goofy grin on his face.  
  
"Hey, Harry…I see what you mean about the whole observant thing…girls aren't that bad really."  
  
Harry suppressed a laugh as he patted Ron's shoulder.  
  
"Exactly my point."  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay; I got nothing done, but hey, I wanted to get some Ronniekins/Mione stuff in.  
  
Anie: Yeah; I know. I'm trying, believe me.  
  
Divine: Yes!!! I love writing that, too. This didn't have as much of it, but oh well.  
  
IcantBELIEVEitsNOTbutter: No…not really…hey, we all suffer from it occasionally  
  
Caramelgirl: Thank you so much!!!!!  
  
Qtsugar1001: hey, I can't wait to write it.  
  
Archangel_zecco: Really? It's how I picture…yeah…someone asking ME to a dance, and me responding…yeah…okay then  
  
MinaPotter: I don't think it ever says: let's just say Ginny wanted to wear fancy robes that day instead of Muggle clothes.  
  
Gabnif: I know (at least partially) how you feel; except I wasn't going out with the guy, but I had a HUGE crush on him and I thought he liked me, and…yeah…I'll stop now  
  
SNOWGRL: Thanks! I hope you like this one…I tried to have fun with it.  
  
MoonSweety: Yeah; I love stories like cotton candy; sweet and fluffy.  
  
Jenny: Thankx! I love reviews like yours!  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: Yeah; I say that stuff a lot, but it's not funny unless you're reading it.  
  
Lorena: Thank you!!!!  
  
IcantBELIEVEitsNOTbutter: YES!!!!! FLUFF 4EVA!!!  
  
Kiwi: uh…see above…my opinion is that she always argues with him (and this goes for Ron too) because she's afraid to let her true feelings show.  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Yeah; I agree. That's partially why I'm updating more; I want to wrote that kiss, in full detail.  
  
GinnyWPotter: Hello! Your review/e-mail had me laughing HYSTERICALLY; you are hilarious without meaning to be. It also made my day to get a hyper e- mail; it's what I needed today. Thanks!  
  
Ayleeandra: Thank you! I didn't know my beta had put my chapter up on GryffindorTower; thanks for alerting me to it!  
  
Hathor: YES!!!! So exactly my thinking! 


	14. Harry Hopes

A/N: Aww….Ginny's dreams have just come true, and now we get to hear what she's thinking. This is going to be SOLID fluff, and probably one-sided, but I do not care in the least. I want to enjoy imagining what she's thinking, and hopefully you will enjoy reading my ideas. Anyway, enough of the gab. On to the solid stuff (At least, as solid as extremely airy fluff can get…)!  
  
Disclaimer: Thought conversations belong to Firebolt909, Queen of H/G, otherwise known as the Towels at Gryffindor Tower. Characters belong to J.K. Rowling. We all know this; why do you think this is on a website called Fanfiction.net?  
  
  
  
Ginny shut her eyes and let her mind float out of her restrictive body.  
  
^Harry Potter asked us to the ball.^  
  
We said yes.  
  
^That means…^  
  
We are going to the ball with Harry Potter.  
  
^On top of that, he just complimented us.^  
  
Don't forget that we actually have brand-new robes to wear to the ball.  
  
^Brand-new robes that HE bought for US, without anyone asking him to.^  
  
SILK robes; those must have cost a fortune.  
  
^No boy would have done that unless he was thoughtful…^  
  
Kind…  
  
^Smart…^  
  
Gorgeous…  
  
^I doubt that had anything to do with it, but he is, so it really doesn't matter.^  
  
It really doesn't matter.  
  
Ginny suddenly had a glorious vision of herself, beautiful in deep green robes with smooth red hair cascading down her back, in the arms of a tall, perfect Gryffindor Seeker.  
  
^Mmm…^  
  
Imagine…  
  
^In his arms…^  
  
*Sigh*  
  
^*Sigh*^  
  
Perfection.  
  
^Meant to be.^  
  
Wait; I can improve.  
  
The scene blurred, shifted slightly; now Harry was handing her a thin golden chain with a delicate emerald heart dangling from it.  
  
^Of course it just matches his eyes.^  
  
Of course.  
  
^What about…^  
  
NO!!! We don't picture that, or you'll jinx it all!  
  
^Fine, no need to be so touchy about it.^  
  
The whole point of this fanfic is to get to that. If we imagine it, we'll lose half the readers.  
  
^You're right, as usual.^  
  
As always, you mean.  
  
Ginny was startled out of her conversation with herself when Hermione came in. Floated in was actually a better way to put it, she realized. Hermione was positively glowing; her whole face sort of shimmered with concealed delight.  
  
"What happened? Last I saw you, you were furious with my brother. I have a feeling that you must have made up."  
  
Hermione didn't even blush. Instead, she threw herself dramatically onto a nearby sofa.  
  
"Ginny, I just realized that I am actually going to the Christmas Ball with Ron Weasley. This must be a dream. There is no way it can actually be happening."  
  
Ginny was so thrilled with her own thoughts that she actually managed to refrain from any disparaging comment on her brother. Instead, she laughed with delight.  
  
"Then you know how I feel; like all my dreams have suddenly become reality."  
  
Hermione's gaze snapped up to meet Ginny's dreamy smile.  
  
"You mean…?"  
  
Ginny nodded, and managed to smile even wider, accomplishing the apparently impossible.  
  
"Oh my gosh! He asked you? And you said yes? Oh, I'm so happy! This is even better than I thought it was!!"  
  
Ginny was slightly stunned; she was witnessing Hermione Granger, star student, gushing like Parvati Patil. Still, she reflected, considering the recent events, it didn't seem as improbable as it would have half an hour ago.  
  
Hermione giggled. "Oh my gosh, I must sound like a blond. Sorry, I just can't help it, it seems too absolutely wonderful to be true. My dreams and yours coming true in the same day!"  
  
Her hazel eyes suddenly widened with excitement. "Ginny, I have a great idea. Come here." She whispered a plan into Ginny's ear.  
  
"Oh, that's perfect! Even better! Can I help you pick them out?"  
  
Hermione looked shocked. "What do you really think, Ginny Weasley?"  
  
"Er…yes?"  
  
"Good answer."  
  
The two girls talked excitedly together, hatching a new feature of The Perfect Night; otherwise known as the Christmas Ball).  
  
  
  
A/N: Ohh, cliffie! Okay, maybe not really. Who can guess what their idea is? I came up with this a while ago, but I don't know if it's obvious. It has NOTHING to do with magic, and everything to do with Muggles. Enough hints. I also have a new H/G songfic up: That Thing You Do, very cute, under my page (I also updated my bio, for those who care). Okay, reviews:  
  
Galadriel7: There's what happens next, for ya. Enjoy!  
  
Kat: Oh no. I really should have physically restrained you or something. Sigh. This is going to be a huge point for you now, isn't it?  
  
Ximena: Thank you so much! *sheds a tear* I love this kind of review!  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Thanks! I'm actually feeling a LOT better today; hence the new chapter. I'm glad you don't think my quality has deteriorated.  
  
GinnyWPotter: YES!!! We've already been over this. YOU HAVE ADORABLE PUPPIES!!!! Personal thing there (don't ask). 


	15. Ginny's Gem

A/N: I'm so happy! *sheds a tear* 113 reviews!!!!!!!! Okay, I'm also enjoying this point in the story, so I must continue. I have myself in suspense, which is pretty sad, but hey. It means more reading material for you. Anyway, after you read this, feel free to go to my bio and read my other stories, hey, maybe even review….  
  
This should be very good, considering that I'm supposed to be working on my 'Causes for the Decline of Feudalism' booklet for History that is due in two days; so far I have the notes. That's it. Therefore, I read fanfics and write mush. I don't work on it; of course not. (  
  
Disclaimer: Characters go to J.K. Rowling, split thoughts to the ingenious and wonderful author Firebolt909, Queen of H/G. If they took what is rightfully theirs, I'd be left with a boring, tedious bunch of mush. If that. Probably 2/3 of that is a weird combo of every romantic thing I've ever read, so very little of this is mine, but who's going to figure out where I got it from? Just enjoy (and review).  
  
  
  
Harry woke up to blinding sunlight. He groaned and rolled over, trying to avoid the pain the light caused him.  
  
'Harry, get up NOW, it's a Hogsmeade weekend, and the ball is tomorrow, and I don't have anything for Hermione for Christmas, and as far as I know you have nothing for my sister, who you had BETTER give something to or I will kill you."  
  
Harry groped for his glasses and slid them on to meet Ron's frantic eyes.  
  
He knows we're going to the ball with Ginny.  
  
^And we're alive.^  
  
It's a miracle!  
  
^Now the only question is: how did he find out?^  
  
No idea.  
  
"Wait…you want to go to Hogsmeade to buy a Christmas present for Hermione?" Harry asked groggily. "And you WANT me to buy a present for your little sister?"  
  
Ron rolled his eyes. "That's what I said. She has been crazy about you for the last three years; if you won't pay attention to her otherwise, I will tell you to."  
  
^It's scary, the way Hermione's rubbing off on him.^  
  
Yeah. He's actually getting perceptive.  
  
^Not to mention reasonable.^  
  
Okay…WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH RON?  
  
Harry stared at Ron in shock and he outlined a plan for the day. Unfortunately, Ron noticed.  
  
"Well? Are you coming or not?"  
  
Harry scrambled into a Transfigured pair of jeans and a shirt. He had been educating Ron about Muggle clothes, and was pleased to see his friend in pants and a shirt. The fact that the pants were purple plaid bellbottoms and clashed horribly with the shocking pink T-shirt was quite excusable; last time, he had ended up with swimming trunks and a black tie.  
  
"Okay; shall we have breakfast, or is that too much to ask for?"  
  
"Here. Have some on the way." Ron, entirely missing the sarcasm, shoved a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and a handful of Chocolate Frogs into his hands. Harry balanced his 'breakfast' and followed Ron, happily munching on Drooble's Best Blowing Gum, down the stairs and outside.  
  
~*~  
  
Harry stood next to Ron as he tried to decide which of four cover designs for 'Hogwarts, A History' Hermione would like more. Harry felt sure that Ron was heading in the right direction, but he wanted to get…something more…special. It was the first time he had even considered buying Ginny a present, and he wanted it to be something she would remember for years.  
  
"Er…Ron, I'm going to…go over to Jasmine's Jewelry, do you mind?" Harry asked carefully.  
  
"No; do you think Hermione would prefer red or gold?" Ron inquired anxiously.  
  
"Um…red." Harry decided quickly before dodging across the street. He felt self-conscious about going into a jewelry store, but if he was going to spend thought on Ginny, it might as well be pretty.  
  
He had browsed for half-an-hour and seen countless necklaces, earrings, bracelets, rings, etc., been flirted with by several young female witches, and searched practically the whole store.  
  
I don't think we'll ever find anything.  
  
^They're all too gaudy, like something Lavender or Parvati would wear.^  
  
Ginny just isn't like that.  
  
He was about to give up in despair when he saw IT. IT was a delicate necklace, cast aside in a dark corner to be glanced over and forgotten. Harry reached out and carefully lifted it on the tips of his fingers.  
  
It was gorgeous; a smooth emerald heart hanging off a thin golden chain. Harry had never been entranced by jewelry before, but this piece made his breath catch in his throat. Not for the necklace itself; more for the image of it looped around Ginny's smooth white neck.  
  
What the HECK were you doing noticing her NECK?  
  
^Thinking about kissing it; I'm only a teenage boy.^  
  
Why didn't you TELL me so I could join in?!  
  
Harry carried it over to the counter. The female attendant batted her eyes at him, and looked rather depressed when he held out the necklace.  
  
"Oh. You have a girlfriend?"  
  
"Er…well…I'm going on a date with her tomorrow…" It suddenly entered Harry's mind that it was none of her business.  
  
"Oh...well…that'll be 5 Galleons, 6 Sickles, and 4 Knuts."  
  
Harry counted out the money and took the necklace. He carefully wrapped it in a bit of paper and tucked it safely in his pocket.  
  
^Imagine the look on her face tomorrow.^  
  
Imagine the effect of that with her skin.  
  
^*Sigh*^  
  
  
  
A/N: Reviews:  
  
Snoopy511: Thanks!!! Got to work on my essay…yeah…panicked…  
  
Luna Angelus (both): You had me laughing HYSTERICALLY! You are so funny. Love your reviews; very proud that you reviewed on my other one too. I'm happy!  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Thanks again! Yes, H/G beats D/G all to pieces. Glad that you're realizing it. (  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: Thank you!!! I'm soooo touched!!!!  
  
Galadriel7: Hee hee; yeah, I act blond a LOT, even though I'm brunette…oh well.  
  
Gabnif (both): Yeah; it's always depressing, the whole guy thing. Anyway, thank you sooo much for reviewing TWICE!!! Same to Luna Angelus; I was too busy laughing to mention it before; sorry.  
  
Hathor: Hee hee!  
  
Lorena: thank you!!! I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I was a little preoccupied while doing it, but I just went for mush. 


	16. Pleasant Presents

A/N: Hello! Back to Ginny; it's so much easier to do her thoughts. I've done the same, except when I daydream, it NEVER comes true. I'm basically making her like me, except her dreams all come true. Harry I'm not sure about; how the heck do boys' minds work? I'm sure I don't know; I always think one's flirting with me, and then he's not…and it's confusing. Anyway, to the story.  
  
Disclaimer: Schizophrenia to Firebolt909, Queen of H/G; characters, setting to J.K. Rowling, Queen of Muggle Fantasy; messed-up plot to me, Kelund, Queen of Crushes.  
  
  
  
Ginny rolled over in bed. Her clock was pointing to, 'It's Christmas; get to those presents, girl!'. She yawned and swung her legs over her bed. Her stack of presents was huge, but over half of the pile were from some Weasley or another.  
  
^Wow.^  
  
There-there's-there's a letter.  
  
^With…^  
  
His name on it!  
  
^HIS name on it!!^  
  
Ginny snatched up the pale green parchment and quickly feasted her eyes on it. It was really rather disappointing, consisting of only four lines.  
  
'Ginny,  
  
I will bring your main Christmas present tonight. Have a very merry Christmas.  
  
Harry'  
  
Ginny pressed it to her heart, suppressing a scream of delight with difficulty. On top of that, there was a box of roses with his card. "This is the secondary present?" Ginny muttered as she conjured a vase and filled it with water.  
  
He just made my day.  
  
^This is going to be the best day of our entire life.^  
  
It took her a while to dig through the Weasleys, considering that 14 were fake presents from Fred and George that, at a touch, either exploded in your face, or, if you were lucky, simply evaporated into the air. Ginny brushed her fingers through them, leaning back to avoid a face full of smoke.  
  
After that ordeal, she found a set of gorgeous snowflake earrings from Hermione and a huge box of cherry-flavored Drooble's from Ron.  
  
Her mother had sent her a pale, shimmery blue sweater with a script 'G' in the center in white. Ginny couldn't help noticing that her sweater was obviously neater than her brothers' ever were.  
  
^You think she treats us differently, cause we're her only daughter?^  
  
NO, of COURSE not, why would you EVER think that?  
  
^Are you being sarcastic?^  
  
What do you think?  
  
^Don't roll your eyes at me.^  
  
Don't be stupid.  
  
^Why, I oughta…^  
  
Don't. It's Christmas.  
  
^Fine. Just this once.^  
  
Ginny slipped on a pair of Muggle jeans Hermione had given her and a white shirt with her new sweater and snowflake earrings.  
  
"Ginny!" Hermione had just come into the room. She was in an adorable red shirt with green sleeves with her own jeans. Her eyes were sparkling, and her hair was curling over her shoulders.  
  
"Did you get my earrings? I like your sweater; it's adorable."  
  
"Thank you! Yeah, I got the earrings; they're so cute!" Ginny jumped up and tossed Hermione a piece of gum. "It's safe; it's from Ron, not the twins."  
  
"Oh, okay then. Come on, breakfast is ready, and I know that a certain teenage boy is hanging around the Great Hall instead of going out for a snowball fight like everyone else…where did you get those roses? They're beautiful!"  
  
"Harry sent them to me." Ginny blushed happily at the look Hermione gave her.  
  
"Harry sent them to you? And he's going to the ball with you? You had better get down there before he dies from separation anxiety." Hermione gave her a gentle push toward the door and followed her downstairs.  
  
~*~  
  
Ginny lead most of the way to the Hall, but at the door she suddenly lost her nerve. She fell back and let Hermione go in first.  
  
As she trailed in after her friend, Ginny's eyes fell on an emerald-eyed boy standing near the Gryffindor table. He didn't see her at first, and so she was able to gaze at him uninterrupted for a moment.  
  
Suddenly he looked her way and caught her eye. Her heart leapt into her throat as he grinned and scrambled over to where she was standing. He looked down at her, his mouth curved up into a smile that he was trying to keep from being as obviously delighted as it was.  
  
"Ginny! Merry Christmas; did you get my note? Wow; you look GOOD in that sweater." (A/N: The 'you look GOOD' actually happened to me; the boy was actually speechless, then said, 'wow…you look GOOD' in this sort of star- struck tone)  
  
Ginny blushed and fiddled with her hair, suddenly realizing that she hadn't done anything with the long red waves. Harry reached out and absently wrapped a lock of her hair around his hand; then seemed to realize what he was doing and quickly dropped it.  
  
"Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked, looking straight into her eyes. It was slightly disconcerting.  
  
"Er…no, not yet." Ginny felt slightly dizzy from the force of emotions clear in his eyes.  
  
^Wow.^  
  
That is one powerful gaze.  
  
^Do you think he knows he's doing that?^  
  
Probably not.  
  
^Maybe he's doing it to look into OUR eyes.^  
  
Oh, come on…  
  
^It could happen!^  
  
Let's just listen to him.  
  
"Come on, then; have you ever been ice-skating?"  
  
"Er…no; Ron has, but I never really had a chance to try it."  
  
"Ron and Hermione are going down to the lake to skate; it's frozen over, and I was wondering if maybe you'd like to come."  
  
"Oh…sure!"  
  
"Come on, then. Let's have some breakfast, and then we'll go."  
  
Harry reached over and took her hand without any hesitation. Ginny's heart began to pound against her chest, and she kept her composure with difficulty.  
  
Oh my god.  
  
^HARRY is HOLDING OUR HAND.^  
  
As if we were his GIRLFRIEND.  
  
^We're going to the ball as his date, so technically we are.^  
  
I actually never thought of that.  
  
^Don't worry about it.^  
  
I won't.  
  
He led her over to the table and sat her down in a chair. Ginny was a bit too dizzy to recall such trifling things such as where the table was and how to get food; luckily, Harry did that for her.  
  
^We are so lucky to have him be attentive.^  
  
Well, he is naturally; this is Harry Potter we're talking about.  
  
^The perfect boyfriend.^  
  
Naturally.  
  
  
  
A/N: Aww! FLUFF!!! Okay, I made my daily dose of boys today; here are responses:  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Yeah, that was a good part. Ron is coming to grips with it; my opinion about the other brothers is that Bill and Charlie are old enough to be understanding, Percy will either not care (he's too busy with cauldron bottoms) or feel patronizing for knowing about that already, Fred and George will just tease incessantly, and Ron had better be happy with it. The adults like Harry enough that it's not a problem.  
  
Gray frog: Thank you, I do try to go for the sweet factor.  
  
Kiriko Himura: Thank you! Yes, this is a perfect pairing; I got so tired of everyone missing the whole H/G point that I decided to do one of my own.  
  
Gabnif: No, keep up the guy chat; I like it. None of my friends will listen to me anymore; all I talk about are guys. Do you have AOL? My screen name is SumerDreamHelena; I'm just thinking that you and I seem to have the common non-existent love life. Yeah. Anyway, IM me if you have AOL.  
  
Eris Queen of the Shadows: Thank you! If you liked it, I forgive you for having only one review. That's what I do, so whatever.  
  
Luna Angelus: Hee hee! I LOVE your reviews! THEY ARE SOO FUNNY!!!!!!  
  
TigerLily2001: Noo! Not the puppy eyes!!!! I must surrender!!!!  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: Yeah, I know; but he's a teenage boy. You have to cut him some slack.  
  
Lorena: Thanks!!! 


	17. Skating Successes

A/N: Sorry it took me so long; I was going to update yesterday, but instead I had a 3-hour IM conversation with a boy a month older than I am, and an inch taller, and he asked for my phone #, and two of my friends say it's obvious he likes me, and I am on cloud nine. It will be insanely easy to write this chapter; I'll just pretend that I'm Ginny, and Harry's Ca…never mind. Like I said, I am blissfully happy.  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the absolute delight obvious though the fic.  
  
  
  
Harry led Ginny out of the common room, both carrying a set of skates. He felt quite proud of himself; he had managed to get through breakfast without a single Ginny difficulty.  
  
^We're getting better.^  
  
Don't I know it?  
  
^We haven't dunked our elbows in sauces, tripped over our own feet, or walked into any walls.^  
  
Oh, you mean like that one right…  
  
CRACK!  
  
Harry was somewhat surprised to find himself lying on his back with Ginny kneeling over him.  
  
"Oh my gosh, Harry, are you okay? That must have hurt…"  
  
"Er…I'm quite alright," he responded slowly. "Really."  
  
Ginny's face showed that she didn't believe him. "How many fingers am I holding up?"  
  
The words seeped into Harry's brain, but never really quite made sense. He took a wild guess.  
  
"Tuesday?"  
  
"Um…no. Come on, we should go up to Madame Pomfrey." She took his hand and pulled him up from his position.  
  
^Somehow I get the feeling that was the wrong answer.^  
  
No, you think?  
  
~*~  
  
Ten minutes later…  
  
~*~  
  
Harry's senses suddenly came back into focus; including that of taste, which told him he had just swallowed something that tasted like a mix of hippogriff toenails, Skewrt eyelashes, and a chunk of the giant squid in the lake.  
  
"Are you feeling better, Harry?" Ginny's worried voice broke through his musings.  
  
"Er…yes."  
  
Madame Pomfrey nodded briskly. "Yes, the old Concussus formula always does the trick! Hippogriff toenails, Skewrt eyelashes, and a small piece of squid do wonders for students!"  
  
^We're really getting good at this.^  
  
With the number of times we've been in here, it's not surprising.  
  
"Can he skate safely, or would it be better if he stayed indoors?"  
  
Madame Pomfrey scrutinized Harry for a minute before giving a brisk nod.  
  
"Yes, he may go skating. The effects are instantaneous, so he's fine. Go ahead."  
  
~*~  
  
Harry watched as Ginny's warm breath froze into tiny crystals before her. She pulled the laces of her skate tight in a neat bow and stood up shakily.  
  
"Ready?" he asked, taking her hands and steadying her.  
  
"Yeah," she replied, leaning heavily on him. He carefully pulled her out onto the pristine ice, leaving a thin trail in the powder of snow dusted over the surface.  
  
As soon as Ginny's feet hit the ice, the skates slid backwards from under her, sending her straight into Harry's arms.  
  
"Are you okay?" Harry inquired anxiously, balancing her on her feet.  
  
Ginny giggled, red curls blowing freely around her face. "Yes; I told you, I'm terrible at this."  
  
"It's only your second time. Just keep trying." Harry smiled into her face and began to slowly pull her forward across the ice.  
  
  
  
A/N: Reviews!  
  
FaithfulKat: Thank you! (wipes away tear) *sniff* I'm so touched!  
  
GinnyWPotter: 1.) That's probably best.  
  
2.) Yup.  
  
3.) Yes, he did. I am lucky, aren't I? Also, that guy I was talking about at the beginning? My friend says she's going to confront his about it. This could be interesting.  
  
Julephenia: Hee hee. I live off fluff; both fictional and real.  
  
MinaPotter: Actually, probably yes, but suspend disbelief for me, please?  
  
Eris Queen of the Shadows: Go fluff, it's your birthday…(don't ask)  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Sorry about this one…I was distracted.  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: I know; I sometimes make myself laugh.  
  
Emily: Sorry (again); I was REALLY busy! I didn't have time to upload!  
  
Gabnif: You're now on my Buddy List.  
  
TheBlindAssassin: Kel/Joren doesn't use fluff. It uses physical desire, not fluff; that's why yours is so good. Now, Kel/Neal on the other hand…  
  
Bubblez fairy: Death to Salamander the Great. It was depressing to have a flame for my first review. Of course, it wasn't a really mean flame, but still…  
  
HP Freak 845: Thank you!!!!  
  
Kat-the REAL one, hee hee: Yeah. Okay, I talked to you yesterday, so whatever.  
  
Unregistered: hee hee. I like your style. The Real Kat would kill you, though. 


	18. Muggle Magic

A/N: Bear with me; I've had a dramatic life for the past two weeks. School ended, I got a boyfriend, he got clingy, I decided to break up with him, bla, bla, bla. This chapter is a little weird; just pretend that they finished skating, and Ginny went inside to get ready for the ball. Please?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the exaggerated descriptions of the makeup and dresses. I apologize; I always have this vision in my head, and I have to know that everyone else sees it as well as I do.  
  
  
  
Ginny sat on her bed, wrapped in one of Hermione's Muggle bathrobes. Her damp hair was pinned up in a loose knot on her head, sending trickles of water running down her neck.  
  
"Are you sure this'll work?" Ginny asked nervously, staring at her bedraggled self in the full-length mirror opposite.  
  
"Positive," Hermione responded as she clipped up her own hair. "I know you're used to more magical methods of preparation, but I've discovered that Muggle is the way to go. That way, no one will ruin your looks by shouting Finite Incantatum." Hermione grinned at the incredulous look Ginny gave her. "It happened once in 1849."  
  
Ginny shuddered as she imagined the pandemonium that must have ensued.  
  
^Yikes.^  
  
Yeah.  
  
^Consider what would have happened to us last year.^  
  
Let's not.  
  
^Probably better that way.^  
  
Hermione opened her trunk and pulled out a strange…machine. It looked like a large, bent 'L', with a circle centered at the bend. Ginny regarded it suspiciously. Hermione laughed.  
  
"It's a blow dryer, Ginny. To straighten my hair a bit." She raised her wand and cast an 'Electronimius' spell over it. It suddenly roared to life. Ginny jumped backwards.  
  
"I thought you didn't use magic!" She yelled over the noise.  
  
"Not for the finished look, I don't. This is just to power the thing that will achieve the result."  
  
Ginny watched in amazement as the 'blow dryer' dried Hermione's hair in straight locks.  
  
^Wow.^  
  
Incredible, what Muggles invent, isn't it?  
  
^And without any magic!^  
  
How do you think they power those things?  
  
^Must be with elikmicity, or whatever it is.^  
  
Ah.  
  
Hermione finished drying her hair, and brushed it until it looked like silk. She turned to Ginny.  
  
"Okay, this might hurt a little, but just wait. I promise, it'll be even better than mine."  
  
Ginny raised her eyebrows skeptically, but sat still and allowed Hermione to pull the knots out.  
  
"Wait; do you need to use the…blow dryer on me?" she asked suddenly. Hermione shook her head.  
  
"No; my hair is too thick and too curly to leave damp. Yours is wavy, not really curly." Hermione finished brushing and turned back to her trunk. She returned a few minutes later with several small rectangular boxes and tubes.  
  
"And those are…?"  
  
"Eyeshadow, lip gloss, and a little blush. Basically, makeup."  
  
She's going to kill us.  
  
^Let's just wait and see. If she does, at least the danger of dying from nerves is out.^  
  
And if she doesn't?  
  
^Then we will die of delight that we have a chance of going to the ball with Harry Potter.^  
  
Hermione spun the chair around so her back was to the mirror.  
  
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"  
  
"Positive. I've experimented with makeup since I was 8, I think I know how to use it by now. Shut your eyes."  
  
She did so, even as a tiny brush slid across them. Hermione proceeded to sweep something over her cheeks and added a creamy substance over her lips. Finally, she turned the chair back around, ordering Ginny to keep her eyes shut until she told her to open them.  
  
"Okay. Open your eyes!"  
  
A gasp escaped her lips as she gazed at herself. Her eyes looked huge and bright, for no obvious reason. Her cheeks, which had originally been pure white, now had a faint tinge of color to them, and her lips were shining with something.  
  
Hermione grinned in a very un-Hermionish, but very teenage girlish way.  
  
"What did you do?" Ginny exclaimed. "There is no way you did all this with no magic."  
  
"Simple," Hermione laughed. "See your eyelids? There's a little bit of silvery-white eyeshadow there. Pale pink blush on your cheeks keeps you from looking so nervous, and the shimmer lip gloss was nothing."  
  
"Can you teach me to do this?"  
  
"Of course! I have a bunch of extra stuff you can have to start with, but I have to do mine now. Go and change into your dress. I'm going to see if we need to add anything to it."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Ginny re-emerged in the dress. It fit like a dream; even the sleeves wrapped around her arms like a second skin. The color brought out her hair and accented the silvery makeup.  
  
Hermione turned around as she entered. "Wow. Just…wow. That's beautiful!"  
  
Ginny grinned and spun in a circle, letting the material flare out around her. "Do we need to add anything?" she inquired, glancing nervously in the mirror.  
  
"Just one. Shut your eyes." Hermione commanded, reaching for a container of silvery stuff. Ginny felt tiny particles rain over her hair and dress. When she opened her eyes, it looked as though she had been sprinkled with silver snowflakes.  
  
"Amazing, what glitter can do," Hermione commented. Ginny turned to look at her and suppressed a gasp.  
  
Hermione's hair was up in a loose twist that let loose tendrils to fall around her face. Her pale blue dress from the year before had been updated with a sheer white fabric added over it. Her eyes had a hint of blue over them, as well as sparkle on her cheeks.  
  
"Just one more thing," she told Ginny. Her hands wrapped Ginny's hair into an updo that allowed one long lock to hang beside her face. Finally, a delicate emerald tiara was balanced atop her head. Ginny gazed at herself in wonder.  
  
"I look like a princess."  
  
"Good. That was the intent." Hermione glanced at the clock. It was pointing to 'Go NOW or you'll be late'  
  
Ginny took a deep breath and followed Hermione out the door.  
  
  
  
A/N: And now it's the moment you've all been looking forward to/dreading/your phrase here: review responses!  
  
Julephenia: Yeah; I actually haven't gone that far yet, but I'm pretty close…:-D  
  
Evil-Chicken-Wrath: Hee hee. Your post cracked me up. We'd be saved a lot of trouble if boys were out of the picture, but then who would compliment/flirt/tease/make our day/cause us to giggle insanely???  
  
Coyote/spike: There is no point.  
  
Gabnif: Casey. I told you about him already.  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: It's fun to read your 'happy' reviews.  
  
Eris, Queen of the Shadows: I understand what you meant with the birthday thing. I got the skating thing partially from Princess in Love, by Meg Cabot; it's third in the series. Not quite the same, but I've always fantasized about ice-skating with a cute guy…  
  
TheMonkeyStoleMyDad'sVisaCard: Thanks!  
  
1) Maybe; after PoA, everyone seemed to think H/H was coming up, so I think she purposely changed it; therefore, now that everyone believes it will be H/C (Harry/Cho), she will make it H/G. Maybe.  
  
2) No idea.  
  
3) No way in heaven or hell. Ron has a huge thing going for Hermione, and she has something for him; why else would she have reacted that way when he asked her to the ball???? See above as well.  
  
Gray frog: Go kitty-cat, it's your birthday….  
  
Jade: Wow. Does your computer always use caps lock? Thanks for reviewing so much!  
  
Ongi gunuph gunuph: ROTFL (Rolling On The Floor Laughing). (No one should pay attention to the bizarre name; it's an inside joke)  
  
Shini-Setsuki: Thanks! I hate doing sad stuff, so I just stuck to what I know how to do; sugar.  
  
Becca17: Thanks! I love doing fluff; it's how my mind operates normally, so it takes no effort. 


	19. Chocolate Chances

A/N: Ohh, only one more chapter till the end! And to think, this was such fun to watch as it wrote itself…*Sniffs*. Oh well. I'll just have to start another one, now won't I? Bwa ha ha ha ha….  
  
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. At all. Wish it did.  
  
  
  
Harry sat before the fire, head in hands.  
  
^Oh my God.^  
  
We are going to die.  
  
^No kidding.^  
  
Ginny Weasley.  
  
^And us taking her to the ball.^  
  
It's wonderful and terrible at once.  
  
^At least we're not wearing a hole in the carpet.^  
  
Harry glanced at Ron, who had been pacing incessantly since they had left dinner. He had transfigured, with Harry's help, a few of his old robes into jeans and a blue shirt that matching his eyes. They had come downstairs with his shirt tucked in and hair carefully combed down. Harry stifled a laugh at his friend's appearance; his shirt was half-out, half still tucked in, and his hair was up in stiff points from the 'Gellious' spell he had used on it.  
  
Harry smoothed down his shirt self-consciously. Ron had told him it matched his eyes, with the bright green shade, but now Harry wasn't so sure. His jeans were dark navy, almost black in their color.  
  
^You have the necklace, right?^  
  
I thought you had it.  
  
^Bloody…^  
  
Wait; it's in our pocket.  
  
^Thank God.^  
  
Harry nervously picked up the delicate chain and contemplated the dancing flames through the green heart. The color matched his shirt exactly, not that it helped him decide the color of his eyes.  
  
Suddenly a door creaked upstairs. Harry jumped to his feet, shoving the chain into his pocket. Ron stopped pacing, and the other dozen boys in the room straightened shirts, smoothed hair, or, in the case of Fred and George, picked out a few more choice 'treats' for the girls.  
  
A flood of girls flowed down the stairs, and Harry searched in vain for a certain redhead. The only red thing he saw was a handful of pheasant feathers attached to Parvati's head. He shuddered at the look, but Dean didn't seem to mind, judging by the passionate look he gave her while shaking her hand vigorously.  
  
Harry's attention was pulled back to the stairs by the sound of delicate footsteps. He caught one brief glimpse of Ron's shocked expression before he saw Ginny.  
  
His thoughts went flying into a million tiny pieces which conglomerated into a huge, quivering lump.  
  
^Oh. My. God.^  
  
Ginny. Weasley.  
  
^Us.^  
  
Together.  
  
^Ball.^  
  
Oh YEAH!  
  
Ginny's deep red hair was thrown into contrast with her dark green dress and tiara, giving her an aureole of gorgeous color around her face. Harry met her eyes and instantly got the impression of drowning in chocolate.  
  
"Well, are you going to say anything?" Hermione demanded of Ron. Her voice was as commanding as it usually was, but as she reached the end of her question her face slid into an expression of blushing delight.  
  
"Er…..wow?" Ron tried half-heartedly.  
  
"Ginny…I…er…you look…uh…amazing…gorgeous…" Harry suddenly realized what he'd said, and shut his mouth. But Ginny just blushed and gave him a sparkling smile.  
  
"Thanks. You look great yourself." Her words snapped Harry out of his chocolate-induced trance and back into the present.  
  
"Oh…I have something for you."  
  
Her eyes got even bigger, if that was possible, and she stepped forward.  
  
"You do? What is…oh my god…"  
  
Her voice got very quiet as he held out the necklace. He grinned shyly, carefully clipping it around her neck. She looked down, touched it fearfully, then looked back up at him.  
  
"It's for me?"  
  
Harry nodded.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Ginny looked down again, fingering the emerald, then suddenly threw her arms around him.  
  
"Oh my god, thank you so much! I'll never be able to repay you…"  
  
"Yes you can," Harry whispered in her ear.  
  
She pulled away, just so she could meet his eyes. He almost laughed at the incredulous expression in her eyes.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Dance with me tonight at the ball."  
  
A slow smile spread across her face, and she began to laugh.  
  
"Well, then let's go down so I can start paying my debt!"  
  
"Let's," Harry took her hand unconsciously, and was rewarded when, instead of pulling away, she moved closer to him. They stepped out of the Common Room, followed by Ron and Hermione.  
  
  
  
A/N: Reviews:  
  
HarryandGinny4eva: 'A bit' is the understatement of the millennium.  
  
Gabnif: I know; I apologize profusely. This is my penance, getting the 19th chapter out next day. Forgive me *falls on knees begging* 


	20. Fantastic Finale

A/N: I don't know what I'm going to do; my longest fic is almost over. I'm thinking maybe a Ron/Hermione, in detail; what do you think? Maybe another H/G, different setting; I'm not sure. I will confess that I'm on the verge of a Draco/Ginny songfic. I hate myself. 'You Make Me Sick' by Pink; if you've heard it, maybe you understand what I mean. Still, me, a die-hard H/G shipper. My one comfort is that even Firebolt909, my idol, wrote one D/G fic. Or was it Imogen..?  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the lack of plot.  
  
Harry stepped into the Great Hall, taking in the delicate, perfect snowflakes raining down from the ceiling. He caught one on his fingertip and watched as it disintegrated into nothingness, not even leaving a droplet of water behind.  
  
^They're illusions.^ Should have known.  
  
Harry was brought back to earth with a jolt as Ginny grabbed at his arm. Her eyes were shining with delight, causing them to resemble twin amber gems.  
  
"Oh Harry, isn't it wonderful?" she gasped in amazement. Harry had never seen her this free with him. Then again, he contemplated, he had never seen her with tiny, perfect snowflakes dotting her hair and dark dress like multiple crystals.  
  
"Yeah, it is," was all he said, but his hand clasped hers gently and he led her to a table.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Harry was ready to die. He had sat here with Ginny for the last two hours, listening to song after song slide by while he tried to get up the nerve to ask her to dance.  
  
^We sure weren't this nervous with Parvati last year.^ That was Parvati. This is. ^Ginny, Angel descended from Heaven.^ Yeah. That.  
  
Finally, as the final chords of "The Magic Between Us", sung by Celestina Warbeck, faded from the room, Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands.  
  
"Attention, students! Attention, please!" As soon as the headmaster had every pair of eyes on him, he began to speak again.  
  
"In honor of those students who have had contact with the Muggle world, and to keep us from becoming prejudiced against those slightly different from us, for our final song we will have Celeste here sing a Muggle song for us." Harry couldn't help noticing the glare of hatred Madame Pomfrey sent toward Celestina at the sound of the nickname.  
  
The blond witch tossed her curls over her shoulder and began to sing in her magically amplified voice. Harry turned to Ginny and quickly, before he lost his courage, took her hand and led her out onto the floor.  
  
~*~*~BEGIN SONGFIC~*~*~  
  
*When the rains blowing in your face And the whole world is on your case I would offer you a warm embrace To make you feel my love*  
  
Ginny stepped closer to Harry until she had wrapped him in her arms. Harry saw her eyes glistening with something far from delight now, but he clung to her as memories of past years swept over him in a wave of emotion.  
  
*When evening shadows and the stars appear And there is no one to dry your tears I could hold you for a million years To make you feel my love*  
  
His first night at Hogwarts; sitting on the edge of the dormitory window, tears trickling down his face as he thought about his mother and father, at this school, perhaps in his house.  
  
*I know you haven't made your mind up yet But I would never do you wrong Known it from the moment that we met There's no doubt in my mind where you belong*  
  
At Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, seeing the little-girl Ginny for the first time; and late in his second year, seeing her painfully forced to become an adult at the age of eleven.  
  
*I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue I'd go crawling down the avenue There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do To make you feel my love*  
  
Riddle's words rang in his ears: 'She didn't think the great, good, famous Harry Potter would ever like her.' Harry's head pounded with anguish, realizing the years of longing Ginny had gone through for him. Now, he thought wryly, the 'great, good Harry Potter' is madly in love with her, whether she likes it or not.  
  
*Storms are raging on a rolling sea Down the highway of regret Winds of change are blowing wind and free But you ain't seen nothing like me yet*  
  
Harry looked down at Ginny's head, now resting on his chest. Tears slipped from her closed eyes, and for an instant he paused.  
  
"Ginny," he whispered, wondering if she would hear.  
  
It was enough. She looked up, blinking back more tears. Her face was radiant with joy, and she became even more beautiful than she was normally. Harry's breath caught in his throat at the sight of her.  
  
He couldn't remember what he wanted to say. All thought was sent out of his mind at her expression. His emotions hit, and, for once, he gave into them. He leaned down and his lips met hers in a release of all he had wanted since the summer.  
  
*There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do Go to the ends of the earth for you Make you happy, make your dreams come true To make you feel my love*  
  
~*~*~END SONGFIC~*~*~  
  
A/N: And that's it. It's all over!!!! Waaa!!!! I need your responses on what the topic of my new story should be; that way, I can start a new obsession. A huge thanks goes out to all those of you who supported me throughout the writing of this fic; I love you guys!!!! (Figuratively, of course) Thank you, all those who have and will review this story. Let me know if you liked the ending, loved my writing, etc.; I won't deal with the possibility that you hated it. If you did, then the world would come crashing down around us, so keep your opinion to yourself! ( Just kidding; constructive criticism is always welcome! Thanks again!!!! 


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